Opportunity Information: Apply for FWS R6 SCLEROCACTUS
Apply for FWS R6 SCLEROCACTUS
- The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sclerocactus Demographic Monitoring and Distribution Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.657 Endangered Species Conservation Recovery Implementation Funds.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 15, 2011 and posted on Aug 15, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This is a notice of intent to award this agreement as a single source agreement to SWCA Environmental Consultants for the purpose of long term monitoring to statistically quantify population demographic processes and habitat characteristics for Pariette cactus (Sclerocactus brevispinus) and Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus wetlandicus).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Sclerocactus Demographic Monitoring and Distribution Assessment grant opportunity is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) cooperative agreement focused on long-term conservation monitoring for two rare cactus species in Utah's Uinta Basin: Pariette cactus (Sclerocactus brevispinus) and Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus wetlandicus). The core purpose is to generate statistically defensible, multi-year demographic and habitat data that can be used to understand population status, identify trends, and support recovery implementation decisions under endangered species conservation efforts. The work is designed to connect what is happening to these cactus populations over time (survival, recruitment, life stage transitions, and reproduction) with habitat conditions and disturbance factors that may be influencing those demographic processes.
The scope of work is laid out in a sequence that begins with project design and then moves into repeated field monitoring, distribution assessment, data analysis, and reporting. In the project design phase, the awardee is expected to select monitoring sites, develop a disturbance model, and build a database for storing and managing the monitoring results. The disturbance model component signals that the project is not only counting plants, but also attempting to track or interpret impacts from natural or human-driven disturbances that may affect habitat quality and population performance. The database development piece is meant to standardize data entry and ensure continuity across years, which is essential for credible demographic analyses.
Fieldwork centers on demographic monitoring and distribution assessment conducted twice each year, timed to coincide with the flowering and fruiting period. This biannual schedule is important because flowering and fruiting are key windows for detecting individuals, confirming reproduction, and assigning plants to life stages that matter for demographic models. The distribution assessment is intended to refine understanding of where plants occur across the landscape and how individuals of different life stages are spread across habitat types and the broader range. More broadly, the monitoring is framed as a way to expand knowledge of the species' biology and ecology, specifically to evaluate relationships between demographic processes (such as survival and recruitment) and habitat conditions (such as site characteristics and disturbance context).
Data handling and analysis expectations are described in practical terms. Monitoring data are to be compiled twice per year into a Microsoft Access database and then analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Reporting requirements focus on summarizing demographic results by habitat stratum and across the species' ranges, with particular emphasis on the distribution of individuals by life stage for each species. In other words, the deliverables are not limited to raw counts; they are structured summaries that allow managers to see how many plants are present, how they are distributed, and how populations are structured demographically in different habitat settings.
Administratively, this posting is a notice of intent to make a single-source award, meaning it is not being competed. The justification cites Department of the Interior policy (505 DM 2.14 B #4), which allows noncompetitive award when an applicant is uniquely qualified. The notice states SWCA Environmental Consultants is uniquely qualified due to longstanding rare plant expertise recognized by state and federal agencies in the Uinta Basin and because SWCA has been conducting surveys and monitoring for these Sclerocactus species since 2004. The announcement highlights specific staff experience (including botanists J. Hope Hornbeck and Lynda Sperry), their involvement with USFWS, BLM, and the Utah Natural Heritage Program in developing monitoring and reclamation planning, and the evolution of monitoring protocols over multiple years to support demographic modeling needs. It also notes that at least four years of demographic data are required to statistically support the S. brevispinus demographic model already in development, and that longer-term datasets are needed to detect trends tied to variable events like climate cycles, disease, predation, and habitat change.
Key grant details include an expected single award with a ceiling of $100,000 and a floor of $1,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The funding activity aligns with environmental and natural resources work under CFDA 15.657 (Endangered Species Conservation, Recovery Implementation Funds). The opportunity was posted August 15, 2011, with an original and current closing date of August 16, 2011, and an archive date of September 15, 2011. The eligible applicant field indicates "Others," but the eligibility narrative clarifies the intent to award specifically to SWCA for long-term monitoring to quantify population demographic processes and habitat characteristics for the two target cactus species. The listed agency contact is a contracting officer (Andrea Meyer) for access or announcement assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Sclerocactus Demographic Monitoring and Distribution Assessment grant opportunity?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) cooperative agreement focused on long-term conservation monitoring and distribution assessment for two rare cactus species in Utah's Uinta Basin: Pariette cactus (Sclerocactus brevispinus) and Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus wetlandicus). The project is designed to produce multi-year demographic and habitat datasets that can support endangered species recovery implementation decisions.
Which species are covered by this opportunity?
The work targets two rare cacti in the Uinta Basin of Utah: Pariette cactus (Sclerocactus brevispinus) and Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus wetlandicus).
What is the main purpose of the project?
The main purpose is to generate statistically defensible, multi-year demographic and habitat information to understand population status, identify trends, and inform recovery implementation under endangered species conservation efforts. The project links population changes over time (survival, recruitment, life stage transitions, reproduction) with habitat conditions and disturbance factors that may be influencing those demographic processes.
What types of data are expected to be collected?
The opportunity calls for demographic data collected across multiple years, including survival, recruitment, life stage transitions, and reproduction, along with habitat information and disturbance context that may affect habitat quality and population performance.
What does "demographic monitoring" mean in this project?
Demographic monitoring refers to repeatedly measuring population characteristics over time, such as survival, recruitment (new individuals entering the population), movement among life stages, and reproduction. The intent is to support demographic analyses and models that describe population status and trends.
What does "distribution assessment" mean in this project?
Distribution assessment is intended to refine understanding of where the plants occur across the landscape and how individuals of different life stages are distributed across habitat types and across the broader species ranges.
How is the work structured across the project period?
The scope of work is described as a sequence beginning with project design and then moving into repeated field monitoring, distribution assessment, data analysis, and reporting. The design phase includes selecting monitoring sites, developing a disturbance model, and building a database for storing and managing monitoring results.
What happens during the project design phase?
During project design, the awardee is expected to (1) select monitoring sites, (2) develop a disturbance model, and (3) build a database to store and manage monitoring results in a standardized way to support continuity across years.
What is the disturbance model and why is it included?
The disturbance model component indicates the project is intended to go beyond counting plants by tracking or interpreting impacts from natural or human-driven disturbances that may affect habitat quality and population performance.
How often is field monitoring conducted?
Fieldwork is conducted twice each year (biannually), timed to coincide with the flowering and fruiting period.
Why is monitoring timed around flowering and fruiting?
The flowering and fruiting period is a key window for detecting individuals, confirming reproduction, and assigning plants to life stages that are important for demographic models.
What software tools are specified for data management and analysis?
Monitoring data are to be compiled twice per year into a Microsoft Access database and then analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
How frequently must monitoring data be compiled into the database?
The information provided indicates the monitoring data are to be compiled twice per year into a Microsoft Access database.
What are the reporting expectations?
Reporting focuses on summarizing demographic results by habitat stratum and across each species range, with emphasis on how individuals are distributed by life stage for each species. Deliverables are structured summaries, not just raw counts.
Are results expected to be stratified by habitat?
Yes. The reporting requirements explicitly emphasize summarizing demographic results by habitat stratum as well as across the overall species ranges.
Does this opportunity require multi-year monitoring?
Yes. The purpose and justification emphasize multi-year data collection and long-term datasets to support statistically defensible analyses and trend detection. The notice also notes that at least four years of demographic data are required to statistically support the Sclerocactus brevispinus demographic model already in development.
Why is long-term data collection emphasized?
Longer-term datasets are described as necessary to detect population trends tied to variable events such as climate cycles, disease, predation, and habitat change, and to support statistically defensible demographic modeling.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. The posting is a notice of intent to make a single-source (noncompetitive) award.
What does "single-source award" mean here?
It means the agency intends to make one award without competition because the identified applicant is considered uniquely qualified under Department of the Interior policy cited in the notice (505 DM 2.14 B #4).
Who is the intended recipient of the award?
The eligibility narrative indicates the intent to award specifically to SWCA Environmental Consultants for long-term monitoring and related work for the two target Sclerocactus species.
Why does the notice say SWCA Environmental Consultants is uniquely qualified?
The justification states SWCA has longstanding rare plant expertise recognized by state and federal agencies in the Uinta Basin and has been conducting surveys and monitoring for these Sclerocactus species since 2004. The notice also references specific staff experience and multi-year protocol development to support demographic modeling needs.
Which staff experience is highlighted in the notice?
The notice highlights botanists J. Hope Hornbeck and Lynda Sperry, including their involvement with USFWS, BLM, and the Utah Natural Heritage Program in developing monitoring and reclamation planning, and their role in evolving monitoring protocols over multiple years.
What is the funding ceiling and floor for this opportunity?
The expected single award lists a funding ceiling of $100,000 and a funding floor of $1,000.
Is cost sharing or a matching contribution required?
No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number and program area for this funding?
The funding activity aligns with environmental and natural resources work under CFDA 15.657, described as Endangered Species Conservation, Recovery Implementation Funds.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on August 15, 2011. The original and current closing date is August 16, 2011. The archive date is September 15, 2011.
Who is listed as the agency contact?
The listed agency contact is Andrea Meyer, identified as a contracting officer for access or announcement assistance.
What is meant by "statistically defensible" data in the context of this project?
Based on the description, "statistically defensible" refers to collecting standardized, multi-year demographic and habitat data that can support credible analyses, trend detection, and demographic modeling to inform recovery implementation decisions.
What kinds of population metrics are emphasized in the project description?
The description emphasizes survival, recruitment, life stage transitions, and reproduction, and connecting those demographic processes to habitat conditions and disturbance factors.
What is the role of the database in this project?
The database is intended to standardize data entry and ensure continuity across years, which the notice describes as essential for credible demographic analyses. The specified database platform for compilation is Microsoft Access.
What is the role of habitat characterization in the monitoring effort?
The monitoring is framed as a way to evaluate relationships between demographic processes (such as survival and recruitment) and habitat conditions (such as site characteristics and disturbance context), and to summarize demographic results by habitat stratum.
Does the opportunity mention an existing demographic model?
Yes. The notice states that at least four years of demographic data are required to statistically support the Sclerocactus brevispinus demographic model already in development.
What does the eligible applicant category "Others" mean here?
The posting lists "Others" as the eligible applicant field, but the eligibility narrative clarifies that the intent is to award specifically to SWCA Environmental Consultants as a single-source award.
Is the deliverable limited to field counts of plants?
No. The description indicates deliverables include compiled datasets and analyses, including summaries of demographic results by habitat stratum and across ranges, with particular emphasis on life stage distributions for each species.
What geographic area is the work focused on?
The work is focused on Utah's Uinta Basin, where the target cactus species occur.
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